A Teacher's POV - Snow Day
by Time Lady
Summary: The weather outside is less than delightful, but school is still in session. What are Iori, Takeru, Hikari, Miyako, Daisuke and their classmates going to be up to in their classroom on a snow day? What will their teacher do? And will this be a normal s


A Teacher's POV - Snow Day   
  
By Time Lady  
----------  
  
I'm either a masochist or incredibly devoted to my job. That's the only reason I could think of to rationalize why I braved the freezing rain and ice covered roads on the way to work. 95% of the schools in town closed due to this God-awful weather. I happen to work for a school that was in the 5% that didn't.  
  
About half the teachers proved as insane as I and showed up to work. Thankfully, only half the students showed up to school too. The principal stuffed all the students into the gym bleachers and announced that the students whose homeroom teachers were there would go to their homeroom for the whole day. The rest would be divided between those of us teachers there and the few substitutes crazy/desperate enough to show up.  
  
My showing up that day was definitely mistake number one.  
  
I collected my homeroom students. Nine showed up out of the usual twenty. Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, Moose, Akemi, Miyu, Satoshi, Amano and Ana followed me back to my classroom.   
  
"Man, I can't believe my mom made me come to school in this weather," complained Daisuke as we walked back to my class.  
  
"Yeah," added Satoshi. "This is way too cold."  
  
"You guys are wimps," scoffed Moose. "This ain't nothing compared to the winter back home."  
  
"Moose, there's no such word as 'ain't,'" I reprimanded. "Don't use a double negative."  
  
"She doesn't miss a beat, does she?" Hikari whispered to Takeru.  
  
"You have 5 minutes to go to your lockers," I said at the door of my classroom. "Bring back anything you have to read or any homework or projects you might not have done but is due soon. With only 9 of you here, there's not a lot we can do. I'm going to set my timer."  
  
There was a mad scramble at the lockers as I went into my room and got my timer. I've managed to train the kids to know that when I had the timer out, I meant business. The kids were in their seats in 4 minutes, 59 seconds.   
  
"All right people. Just take out something and get to work. Keep all talking to a whisper." With that, I set the kids to work.   
  
Fifteen minutes later, the principal came by. "We have all the subs we can. Everyone that could get here could," he said.  
  
"So why don't we just close school and go home?" I returned dryly as I leaned against my doorway. I could see a trail of about 50 kids behind him.  
  
"YEAH!" came the shout from my class.  
  
"Daisuke and Satoshi, button your lips," I yelled into the room.  
  
"Because the superintendent said so," replied the principal. "We're dividing up the remaining students. Pick five."  
  
Well, at least he let me pick. Daisuke, Satoshi, and Moose were enough of a handful. Iori and Miyako were in the line, so I chose them and 3 other students I knew were fairly well behaved. The principal shuffled the line down to the next teacher.  
  
"Okay people," I announced to the kids in my room. "I need some volunteers. We might not be able to do a lot, but we can still spend this time productively." Glancing around, I made mental notes of what could be done. "I'm going to appoint crews to do various jobs around. First of all, I need someone to straighten out the classroom library. It's a disaster over there and no one can find anything." Several hands raised to volunteer. "Okay, Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, and Yukari, you tackle the library." Akemi looked disappointed, but I needed someone in there who could organize things and wasn't a bull in a china shop. "Bulletin boards? Akemi, Moose, Satoshi, and Amano. The rest of you will grade papers." Might as well take advantage of the situation. I had dozens of quizzes and worksheets that needed grading.   
  
Briefly, I gave the library people instructions. "You're going to be sorting and organizing these books. Sort them out by topic, then shelve them alphabetically. Got that?"  
  
"No problem sensei," Takeru assured me.  
  
I gave each of the graders a pile of papers, red pens and the necessary answer keys. Then the board people and I began. "Carefully take down the posters and the borders, then tear down the paper and toss it. I'm going to go to the teacher workroom and get some new paper.  
  
This shall henceforth be known as mistake number two.   
  
You would think that a group of 5th through 8th graders would be able to handle themselves for 15 minutes. At least I thought so. Obviously I thought wrong.  
  
I walked into the room to find Moose and Amano restraining Daisuke. Iori was standing between Daisuke and Takeru saying "Daisuke, get a hold of yourself!" My classroom library looked like a tornado hit it.  
  
Okay. I tried to remain calm. "WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?" I roared. Everyone froze. "GET IN YOUR SEATS AND DON'T SAY A WORD!" You could hear a pin drop as everyone scrambled for a desk. Withering glance time. "I step out of this room for 15 minutes and pandemonium breaks loose." Daisuke shrunk down in his chair. Somehow I knew this had to do with him, Takeru and Hikari. I made the group squirm in their seats for a good ten minutes. "I want one person to raise their hand and tell me what happened. Yukari?"  
  
"Well sensei," began Yukari, "We were sorting the books like you said. Takeru said something to Hikari, I didn't hear what, but then Daisuke freaked. Books started going all over the place. Amano and Moose grabbed Daisuke before anything else could happen, then you came in."  
  
Daisuke nearly went under his desk to avoid my glare. "I do _not_ want to have to deal with this today. Daisuke, you will now put all these books into neat little piles BY YOURSELF so that someone can resume sorting them. Yukari and Hikari, you will grade papers. Takeru, to the bulletin board."  
  
For the next half hour the groups worked silently, except for the occasional question or direction. When Daisuke finally had everything in neat stacks, I sent Iori and Miyako in to help him get everything shelved.   
  
If some other things had been bad ideas that day, getting the kids to work was a good one. I finally got my boards done, my library was organized for the first time since school started, and a big chunk of papers were graded.  
  
About 11:00, most of the kids were finished and sitting reading, playing board games, or working on my computer. Daisuke was catching up on some long missing homework. Rather reluctantly I might add. "Man, I wish we could go to the digital world," I heard him mutter. Must be some new arcade.  
  
"Shh.... Sensei will hear you," whispered Iori. "You don't want to get her any more angry than she is."  
  
"Teacher's pet," muttered Daisuke.  
  
"Be glad she didn't give you a month's detention," returned Iori who stood and walked over to the computer.  
  
"Daisuke, close your mouth and get to work," I said.  
  
11:10, I lined everyone up. We went down to the bathrooms for a restroom break. Mistake number three. Why?  
  
Because at 11:15, a transformer blew. In other words, the lights and power went out through the entire school. A couple of girls in the girls' bathroom shrieked.   
  
"I'm coming Hikari!" shouted Daisuke.   
  
"No you're not," I returned flatly. Thankfully I had one of those little squeeze flashlights on my keychain. It wasn't much light, but we were in a hallway without windows. Just one little emergency light that shone an eerie glow into the darkness. I squeezed the light and made my way into the girls' bathroom. "Finish up your business and follow the light," I called out.   
  
As soon as the girls were out, I handed the light to Iori. "Go check for guys," I told him.  
  
"Yes sensei," said Iori.  
  
"This feels weird," said Hikari.  
  
"Don't worry Hikari," said Daisuke. "I'll hold your hand."  
  
"Let go of my hand before I flatten you," said Moose.  
  
"Eeeewwww," said a few others.  
  
Once we reassembled everyone, we returned to the classroom. With the shades open, it was just kind of gray, but not totally black. "Everyone just sit tight," I said. "I'm going to find my cell phone and call down to the office."  
  
The kids talked in hushed whispers. I tried to call the office, but then I realized the switchboard was electric. Instead I fished out my cell phone list and made a few rather discouraging calls. "Okay people. We need to move on down to the cafeteria. Just let me dig out the emergency kit so we can have a couple of flashlights."  
  
With the shades open, it was light enough for me to rummage in my supply drawer. I pulled out three flashlights. We somehow made our way down the hall, got lunches from lockers, and made it to the cafeteria without losing anyone. Every shade was open. Teachers shone flashlights to try to further lighten the cafeteria (not that it helped much). As the kids ate, the principal stood on a chair with a bull horn.  
  
"Students, please listen," he said. "I have been on the phone with the superintendent. He has decided that the school shall still remain open."  
  
As a mass moan and groan session went through the students and a large percentage of teachers, I mentally chalked up mistake number four. "Can we go home if we want?" asked Satoshi.  
  
"You may _not_ leave the grounds without a parent's authorization. So, unless your mother, father, grandparent, etc., shows up to get you, you're stuck here," returned the principal.  
  
"Can we go home?" asked Mr. Fujiyama, almost whining. A few of the other teachers shook their heads in disbelief.  
  
The principal chose to ignore him. "After lunch, everyone will return to their classrooms, unless their room has no windows. If so, then report to the auditorium. For specials, if you have computers report to PE. If you have music, since there are no windows in the music room, report to art. Teachers, if you have cell phones, please leave them on so we can reach you if necessary."  
  
Dreading the rest of the day, I marched my group back to my room. "All right. It looks like we're stuck here the rest of the school day. There's not much we can do. If you want, read, or draw, or play one of the board games. Just do it quietly." I sighed and put my head down on my desk.  
  
"Sensei, are you all right?" asked Iori.  
  
"Tired, frustrated, and irritated. But that's nothing new. Go ahead and find something to do. We've still got 3 hours to go."  
  
I sat with my head down against the table for a few blissfully quiet moments. Until. . . .  
  
"Daisuke tell Moose to keep his hands away from meeeeeeee!!!!" shrieked Akemi.  
  
"Me? Why me?!?" asked Daisuke in surprise.  
  
"Will you people give it a rest already?" I said in frustration, glaring at all of them. "I said get busy doing something. _Anything _. Within reason, that is," I added. You never know what they might decide to do.  
  
After a few minutes I looked around to see what everyone was up to. In the library corner, Takeru and Hikari were sitting under a window sharing a book. Cute. Miyako and Iori had opened up my storage closet and found some board games. They had set up a chessboard in an area with just enough light. A few of the others had set up other board games. A loud "ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ" ripped through the silence.   
  
"And I thought Daisuke was a loud snorer," giggled Hikari as we found Satoshi curled up in a corner, fast asleep.   
  
"How does she know how loud you snore?" asked Akemi, a threatening look on her face.  
  
"Ummm, a bunch of us have gone camping together," said Miyako. "Daisuke snores loud enough to wake the dead."  
  
"I do not!" protested Daisuke.  
  
"Remind me to get a tape recorder the next time you doze off in my class," I said dryly.  
  
"You're all ganging up on me," complained Daisuke.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm on your side," said Akemi as she attempted to give Daisuke a comforting hug.  
  
"C - c- can't breathe. . . ." stammered Daisuke as he started to turn blue.  
  
"Ummm. . . . Akemi, practice your sleeper hold later and let Daisuke have some air," I said.  
  
"Oops," said Akemi, looking embarrassed as she let Daisuke drop to the ground.  
  
"They make such a cute couple," said Takeru.  
  
"You really think so?" asked Akemi excitedly.  
  
"Listen you. . . . " began Daisuke.  
  
"That's enough," I said. "Find something to do Daisuke."  
  
"Come on," said Akemi. "Miyu's setting up the Monopoly board." She dragged the rather unwilling Daisuke over to the window where Miyu, Amano, and Yukari were getting ready to play.  
  
"But I don't. . . ." Daisuke's protest was cut off abruptly.  
  
"I don't know what a girl like her sees in a guy like him," said Moose. Oh great. Just what we need. Another love triangle. Though by that time, it'd probably be a hexagon. Or something resembling a highway cloverleaf.  
  
A half hour later, I herded my group of maniacs (minus two, since Yukari's grandmother and Satoshi's mother came to pick them up) down to the gym in hopes that the coach might be able to wear them out enough before it was time to go back to my room.  
  
Down in the teachers' lounge I found that some angelic person had brought a battery powered lantern, hot tea, coffee, and snacks for us suffering teachers. The hot drinks were in large thermal containers to keep them hot. Without the power, the temperature was slowly dropping inside the building. I poured some tea, then dumped in a load of sugar, grateful for the respite from the kids.  
  
The respite was all too brief. Fifteen minutes before I was due to pick up the kids from the gym, my cell phone rang. Iori's grandfather was in the office, and would I escort him to the gym. Sighing, I grabbed my snacks and made my way to the office. I had briefly met Iori's grandfather at a "meet the teacher" night when school started.  
  
"I am very glad to meet you," he said as we walked to the gym. "Iori constantly talks about your classes."  
  
"Thank you," I returned. "Iori's a joy to have in any class. Perhaps in a couple of years he'll be in my homeroom."  
  
"He is very fond of your mythology class. I'm glad it was opened up to other grades."  
  
"It took a lot of arguing," I admitted. "The school wanted me to restrict it to 8th grade only, but I convinced them that a lot of other kids wanted that kind of class. This year is sort of an experiment."  
  
"Persistance pays," agreed the grandfather.  
  
I opened the door to the gym. Some kids were tossing basketballs around. Takeru was trying to show Hikari to slam dunk. Miyu was standing off to the side with a jump rope. Amano and Daisuke were kicking at a soccer ball. Akemi was trying to join them. Iori was listening to Moose explain about hockey.  
  
"I don't know," Iori was saying. "That sounds pretty dangerous. Being on ice skates is bad enough, but being on ice skates and trying to hit a duck. . . ."  
  
"Puck," corrected Moose.  
  
"Puck, sounds like it could be very hazardous."  
  
"But that's the fun! That and the fighting. . . ."  
  
"Iori," I called. Iori turned around and saw me with his grandfather.   
  
"Grandfather, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"I have come to take you home," said the grandfather.   
  
"Oh," said Iori. Was it my imagination, or did he seem disappointed. "Must I go?"  
  
"Yes. The weather is supposed to be very bad later. Your mother does not want us to be in the streets with all this ice. These ice storms are so rare that people do not know how to drive, so it is not safe."  
  
"I understand Grandfather," returned Iori. He definitely sounded disappointed.  
  
"Hey, maybe this will all clear up," I said brightly. "Though the district will probably have school tomorrow, even if there's no power and bad weather."  
  
"Yes Sensei," he said, still sounding down.  
  
I walked Iori and his grandfather to Iori's locker and my classroom to collect Iori's belongings, then walked them to the door. As much as I hated to see Iori go, it would still be one less student to deal with. Though why couldn't it be Daisuke, Moose, or Akemi?  
  
By the time I made it back to the gym, my class was lined up. We went back to the classroom and the kids picked up their previous activities. Miyako walked over to where Takeru and Hikari were sitting. "You know," she said in a low voice, but not low enough that I couldn't hear, "with the power out, we won't really be able to go to the Digital World."  
  
"It depends on if the power is out in our buildings," said Hikari.  
  
"We could always check with Ken and see if the power is out by his building," said Takeru. "Or we could check with Yamato."  
  
Hmm. . . from their conversation, it sounds like that Digital World they mentioned before must be some sort of chat room or game room online.  
  
"I hope our Digimon are all right," said Daisuke as he leaned back from his game.  
  
"They'll be fine. . . . you didn't bring Chibimon again, did you?" asked Takeru.  
  
"No. He didn't like the cold either. He was going to stay under my blanket all day," returned Daisuke.  
  
"Shh. . . . not so loud," warned Miyako. "Sensei or someone else might hear."  
  
Too late, I thought. They went back to doing whatever they were doing.   
  
I noticed Daisuke kept watching Hikari and Takeru out of the corner of his eye. He tensed up every time he saw Takeru get very close to Hikari. Akemi was watching Daisuke watch Hikari. I could hear Akemi cracking her knuckles. Great. Just great.   
  
Finally 3 o'clock rolled around. I know it was less than 4 hours since the power went out, but it felt like this day dragged on for a week. "All right people," I said before I walked them out. "Hopefully the power will be back on tomorrow, or the district will get its act together and cancel school. However, I'm not holding my breath. So I'll probably see you all tomorrow." I ignored the groans and picked up my bags. No way I was sticking around longer than I had to.  
  
Outside, there was a mass stampede of students trying to get out of school. Once the last one was gone, I went to the office and signed out. The principal was there.  
  
"Well, today wasn't so bad, was it?" he said with a grin. I glared at him.  
  
If the weather's bad tomorrow and school's still open, I'm going to call in sick.  
  
----  
  
  
Author's notes: I can hear all of you already asking "where did she get this idea?" Well, a few weeks ago, this _really _ happened. We had an ice storm. Where I live, this is rare and causes all sorts of pandemonium. All of the districts in my area closed except two. One of them being the one I taught in. Because of the weather, I was an hour late to work. Only about half the kids showed up. But I still made it in. The teacher tech and I decided to start redoing our bulletin boards. Then, at 11:15, a transformer blew. We had _no _ power the rest of the day. Meaning, as a computer teacher, I couldn't do _anything _. I had to take my kids to PE. Since a lot of the kids who came rode buses and had no one at home for them, we ouldn't close the school.  
  
What's really funny is, as I was driving in, the radio station I was listening to tried calling the district's downtown office. And _no _one _ answered the phone.  



End file.
